Buffalo Sabres vs. Vegas Golden KnightsJan 4, 2025

FinalSaturday, Jan 4, 2025· T-Mobile Arena

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Goals	1	2	3	T		Shots	1	2	3	T
BUF	0	0	1	1		BUF	6	4	14	24
VGK	2	0	1	3		VGK	14	12	7	33

: BUF 62VGK 54
: BUF 2.48VGK 2.90
PP goals: BUF 0VGK 0
Hits: BUF 17VGK 19
Blocks: BUF 10VGK 17
PIM: BUF 4VGK 6
: BUF 57%VGK 43%

Fantasy takeaways

Generated from the play-by-play, shifts and season context. No opinions, just what changed.

Vegas Golden Knights beat Buffalo Sabres 3–1

Vegas Golden Knights beat Buffalo Sabres 3–1 at home. Jack Eichel (VGK) led the scoring with 1G 1A. New look for BUF: Aube-Kubel–Malenstyn–McLeod skated 7:52 together at 5v5 as the L2 trio (16.7% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.

Points
Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist (2 points) on 7 shots in 21:08.Eichel
Points
Tanner Pearson had 2 assists (2 points) on 2 shots in 15:43.Pearson
New line
New look for BUF: Aube-Kubel–Malenstyn–McLeod skated 7:52 together at 5v5 as the L2 trio (16.7% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Aube-Kubel Malenstyn McLeod
Usage
Jason Zucker (BUF) played 21:44, +5:49 up on his 15:55 season average over 72 games.Zucker
New line
New look for BUF: Tuch–Peterka–Kulich skated 5:06 together at 5v5 as the L3 trio (63.6% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Tuch Peterka Kulich
New line
New look for VGK: Kolesar–Howden–Laczynski skated 9:23 together at 5v5 as the L3 trio (54.5% of the shot attempts), a combination not used in the team's last 5 games.Kolesar Howden Laczynski
Usage
Tanner Pearson (VGK) played 15:43, +3:59 up on his 11:44 season average over 77 games.Pearson
Usage
Zach Whitecloud (VGK) played 13:39, −3:55 down on his 17:34 season average over 73 games.Whitecloud

Shot map

Both teams on one rink, filtered by strength and period.

Shot map

Every attempt, sized by expected goals. Goals are rings, shots on goal dots, misses hollow, blocks crosses.

Strength

Period

Team

← BUF attacks left (bottom on phones)VGK attacks right (top on phones) →

VGK
BUF
Goal
Shot on goal
Missed
Blocked

Showing 116 of 116 attempts · VGK 54 · BUF 62

Game flow

Cumulative expected goals and shot attempts, with power plays shaded and goals marked.

Cumulative shot attempts

VGK
BUF
Goal
Power play (shaded)

Pressure Index

VGK pressure
BUF pressure
Goal
Control (|PI| > 0.25)

: descriptive only, the team with more pressure scored the next goal about half the time. In control: BUF 27% of the game, VGK 35%.

Shift chart

Every shift, grouped by line and pair; bars are coloured by strength state. Click a player to highlight.

Shifts

VGK

BUF

goals / penalties

Even strength
Power play
Penalty kill
Goal
Penalty

Sequence card

5-on-5 possession-chain numbers from the sequence engine (Draw Equity and control cover all situations).

Sequence card
Stat	BUF	VGK
	56	59
	1.57	3.25
	1.53	3.14
	10	11
	6	5
	22	32
	+0.061	−0.061
	27%	35%

Definitions: sequence xG, transition attempts, Draw Equity, control and the Pressure Index.

Lines used

Detected from who actually shared the ice, with time together. Percentages are the unit's share of shot attempts.

Buffalo Sabres

L1Zucker – Thompson – Cozens
13:1553% CF
L2Aube-Kubel – Malenstyn – McLeod
7:5217% CF
L3Tuch – Peterka – Kulich
5:0664% CF
L4Krebs – Quinn – Benson
3:4367% CF
D1Dahlin – Byram
15:4250% CF
D2Samuelsson – Power
13:1830% CF
D3Clifton – Gilbert
6:07100% CF

PP1Zucker – Thompson – Dahlin – Quinn – Peterka
2:48100% CF
PP2Tuch – Cozens – Power – Kulich – Benson
0:27100% CF
PK1FTuch – McLeod
0:52
PK2FThompson – Krebs
0:47
PK1DClifton – Samuelsson
2:03
PK2DByram – Power
1:24

Current BUF line combinations →

Vegas Golden Knights

L1Karlsson – Hertl – Dorofeyev
12:5583% CF
L2Stone – Pearson – Eichel
11:5848% CF
L3Kolesar – Howden – Laczynski
9:2355% CF
L4Rondbjerg – Schwindt – Holtz
6:3014% CF
D1Pietrangelo – Hanifin
19:2254% CF
D2McNabb – Theodore
14:3164% CF
D3Hague – Whitecloud
13:0638% CF

PP1Stone – Hertl – Theodore – Eichel – Dorofeyev
2:38100% CF
PP2Pietrangelo – Karlsson – Pearson – Hanifin – Holtz
1:09
PK1FEichel – Howden
0:58
PK2FKarlsson – Kolesar
0:19
PK1DPietrangelo – McNabb
2:38
PK2DHanifin – Hague
0:38

Current VGK line combinations →

Scoring summary

Every goal with the skaters on the ice for it.

1st period

4:53
VGKTanner Laczynski (Brett Howden, Zach Whitecloud)snap0.39 xG
BUF: Dahlin, Krebs, Byram, Peterka, BensonVGK: Kolesar, Howden, Laczynski, Hague, Whitecloud
BUF 0 – 1 VGK
12:23
VGKMark Stone (Jack Eichel, Tanner Pearson)snap0.36 xG
BUF: Zucker, Aube-Kubel, Dahlin, Byram, CozensVGK: McNabb, Stone, Pearson, Hanifin, Eichel
BUF 0 – 2 VGK

3rd period

7:44
VGKJack Eichel (Tanner Pearson, Noah Hanifin)snap0.14 xG
BUF: Zucker, Thompson, Samuelsson, Cozens, PowerVGK: Pietrangelo, Stone, Pearson, Hanifin, Eichel
BUF 0 – 3 VGK
17:42
BUFJason Zucker (Rasmus Dahlin, JJ Peterka)tip-in0.10 xG
BUF: Zucker, Tuch, Thompson, Dahlin, Quinn, PeterkaVGK: Pietrangelo, McNabb, Karlsson, Howden
BUF 1 – 3 VGK

Box score

Skaters grouped by the line they played on; CF% is the 5v5 share of shot attempts while on the ice.

Buffalo Sabres

BUF skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
Jason Zucker L	L1	1	0	1	-2	3	0.50	1	0	0	21:44	—	—	49	36
Tage Thompson C	L1	0	0	0	-1	5	0.45	0	0	0	20:42	—	—	57	51
Dylan Cozens C	L1	0	0	0	-2	2	0.14	1	1	2	19:25	—	—	54	34
Ryan McLeod C	L2	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	11:17	—	—	38	74
Nicolas Aube-Kubel R	L2	0	0	0	-1	1	0.01	3	1	0	10:26	—	—	36	14
Beck Malenstyn L	L2	0	0	0	0	1	0.05	3	0	0	10:16	—	—	30	24
JJ Peterka R	L3	0	1	1	-1	2	0.43	0	0	0	17:31	—	—	54	30
Alex Tuch R	L3	0	0	0	0	1	0.19	0	3	2	16:56	—	—	48	25
Jiri Kulich C	L3	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	14:37	—	—	46	25
Jack Quinn R	L4	0	0	0	0	2	0.21	0	0	0	15:04	—	—	53	35
Peyton Krebs C	L4	0	0	0	-1	0	0.00	0	0	0	12:55	—	—	46	25
Zach Benson L	L4	0	0	0	-1	2	0.06	0	0	0	12:24	—	—	50	28
Rasmus Dahlin D	D1	0	1	1	-2	3	0.28	2	3	0	25:28	—	—	60	42
Bowen Byram D	D1	0	0	0	-2	0	0.00	1	0	0	24:16	—	—	49	37
Owen Power D	D2	0	0	0	-1	1	0.12	1	1	0	23:44	—	—	38	17
Mattias Samuelsson D	D2	0	0	0	-1	0	0.02	1	0	0	19:55	—	—	40	17
Connor Clifton D	D3	0	0	0	0	1	0.02	1	0	0	13:01	—	—	67	63
Dennis Gilbert D	D3	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	3	1	0	8:38	—	—	67	46

BUF goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
James Reimer(start)	L	33	30	3	.909	2.90	57:41

Vegas Golden Knights

VGK skaters
Skater	Line	G	A	P	+/-			Hits	Blk	PIM		PP	SH
William Karlsson C	L1	0	0	0	0	3	0.38	0	0	0	20:24	—	—	63	68
Tomas Hertl C	L1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	1	0	2	20:08	—	—	73	92
Pavel Dorofeyev R	L1	0	0	0	0	5	0.36	0	0	0	18:11	—	—	71	89
Jack Eichel C	L2	1	1	2	+2	7	0.52	0	0	0	21:08	—	—	53	72
Mark Stone R	L2	1	0	1	+2	1	0.36	0	0	0	18:35	—	—	48	69
Tanner Pearson L	L2	0	2	2	+2	2	0.07	3	0	0	15:43	—	—	42	59
Brett Howden C	L3	0	1	1	+1	3	0.25	1	0	0	13:49	—	—	46	73
Keegan Kolesar R	L3	0	0	0	+1	1	0.19	1	2	2	13:06	—	—	48	77
Tanner Laczynski C	L3	1	0	1	+1	1	0.40	2	1	0	11:08	—	—	48	75
Alexander Holtz R	L4	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	10:20	—	—	17	8
Cole Schwindt R	L4	0	0	0	0	0	0.00	3	0	0	8:24	—	—	11	13
Jonas Rondbjerg R	L4	0	0	0	0	1	0.04	0	0	0	7:45	—	—	14	14
Alex Pietrangelo D	D1	0	0	0	+1	4	0.15	1	4	0	25:37	—	—	53	61
Noah Hanifin D	D1	0	1	1	+2	2	0.07	0	5	0	23:16	—	—	54	67
Brayden McNabb D	D2	0	0	0	+1	1	0.01	4	2	0	20:15	—	—	58	88
Shea Theodore D	D2	0	0	0	0	2	0.10	0	1	0	18:16	—	—	64	90
Nicolas Hague D	D3	0	0	0	+1	0	0.00	2	2	0	16:03	—	—	29	53
Zach Whitecloud D	D3	0	1	1	+1	0	0.00	1	0	0	13:39	—	—	38	58

VGK goalies
Goalie	Dec	SA	SV	GA			TOI
Adin Hill(start)	W	24	23	1	.958	2.48	60:00

Goal anatomy

Animated replays from NHL EDGE tracking, with the entry, passes and shot speed for each goal.

Tanner Laczynski (VGK) 1st 4:53 · assists Brett Howden, Zach Whitecloud · Rebound · carried in · 25.9 mph shot · 3.4 s from entry to goal.

Tanner Laczynski · 1st 4:53 · VGK

Play: rebound
Entry: carry
Odd man: No
Passes: 0
Shot: 25.9 mph
Distance: 3 ft
Entry to goal: 3.4 s
Type: rebound

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Mark Stone · 1st 12:23 · VGK

Play: rush
Entry: carry
Odd man: No
Passes: 0
Shot: 30.0 mph
Distance: 3 ft
Entry to goal: 3.6 s
Type: one-timer

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Jack Eichel · 3rd 7:44 · VGK

Play: rush
Entry: pass
Odd man: No
Passes: 0
Shot: 60.2 mph
Distance: 24 ft
Entry to goal: 4.4 s

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Jason Zucker · 3rd 17:42 · BUF

Play: deflection
Passes: 1
Shot: 28.9 mph
Distance: 7 ft
Type: deflection

Watch on NHL.com → · Tracking-derived via NHL EDGE

Methodology

Shot locations come from the NHL play-by-play, normalised so each shooter attacks the same way, then flipped so the home team attacks right. On-ice stats and lines come from the shift charts: a unit is the exact set of skaters sharing the ice, and CF% is the share of all shot attempts while they were out. Head-to-head cells are 5v5 time against each opponent. Expected goals and the Pressure Index appear as their models are released.